More people are calling the Maine Problem Gambling Hotline since the state legalized online sports betting over a year ago.
Lori Manson, Problem Gambling Services Coordinator at AdCare, says the hotline received more calls in January than ever, particularly from men aged 18-30.
"I don't want to be like overly dramatic. It's not such a huge surge that I'm having a panic attack, but definitely we're seeing numbers go up and we're definitely seeing the young men call in higher numbers," said Manson.
Manson says Maine pays for no-cost counseling sessions, self-exclusion programs, support groups and the 211 Problem Gambling Hotline for those who need help with their addictions.
Daniel Cassino, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, says increased rates of gambling addiction in young men are one of the costs of the gaming industry.
"How many young people are now problem gamblers or ruining their lives to get Maine or any other state a few million dollars in tax revenue?" said Cassino.
Cassino says young men are particularly vulnerable to gambling addiction because advertisers target them when promoting their services.
The state received $6 million in tax revenue last year from sports betting proceeds, which are split with the Wabanaki tribes in Maine.
